Chapter 3

Rose sighed heavily and glanced at her brother, without meeting his sister's eyes Albert stood up from his chair and brisk his way out of the house. Rose finished the food on her plate whereas Albert's plate remain untouched.

While cleaning and washing dishes Rose wasn't able concentrate on anything properly, everything seems blur. She removed her apron and opened the door to the backyard. It was dark and cold outside, she couldn't see much except a dim light from some far away distance, in the chilly night insect's noise was all around her. Rose scanned her backyard and as she glanced down with disappointment, she was surprised to see her brother sitting on the stairs head down hugging his knees.

Rose settled herself right next to him and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"What's happening? we will figure it out together, you know you are better than this" said Rose as she stroked Albert's back lovingly.

Albert didn't say anything, he just leaned towards her .

He lifted his face, tears gushed down his face and at that moment all the anger Rose had for him was gone.

Albert wiped his eyes with back of his sleeve and said hoarsely "I apologize regarding my actions earlier, I was so angry back then but I never meant those words. She is my sister and I love her."

Rose nodded she could understand what he was feeling.

After that nod Albert just poured his emotion all out about why he said those things, how he was being bullied in his school because he never owned the books as his family was very poor and everytime when he ask his classmates to borrow their books they would throw the books at him out of pity.

He was enduring it for so very long and now that bubble burst out with so many emotion anger, sadness, tears.

"I'm not complaining right now and I know you and mother are doing more than I can ever imagine and I have no doubt about that."

After realising he already has said too much he wiped his tears and smiled at her sister "it's alright, everything will be fine by tomorrow."

"I'm afraid not" Rose paused concern filled her eyes "maybe things will get better but that scar you created with your words will hurt again and at very unfortunate time when only remorse would be left."

"So what can I possibly do? Apologize? How and with which mouth?" Asked Albert frantically.

"I know it will come to you as a shock but apologize with that same mouth you said those hurtful words of yours" said Rose rather politely.

Albert went in daze, apologizing was never easy for anyone. To accept one's wrong doings was never easy, it takes courage and determination to overcome that hesitant inside us.

Rose looked across the dark sky and said "Words have mighty powers if used unwisely can pierce right through your soul, shattering it into thousands of pieces but at the same time they have the power to mend them."

"Now it's your choice how you're going to use it." Rose said still looking ahead.

Albert followed her gaze to dark sky and smiled "you know you can sell the desert like pinch of salt."

Both chuckled. Yes it was true Rose had her way with words but only limited to her family.

"Now it looks like you have understood my intention very well and ofcourse I'm not rushing you to do anything but our mother ordered to get our beloved sister before midnight" Rose said sarcastically.

"I'll bring her back." Chuckled Albert.

He stood up and ran towards the wood.

Rose watched him as he disappeared from her sight. Suddenly out of nowhere someone placed her hands on her shoulder.

"Mother" Rose exclaimed.

Her mother smiled cheekily "you really understand them, I wish I was a great mother like you."

Rose embraced her mother in her arms "you know us better than anyone else."

"True, so tell me what's bothering you for so long?" Aksed her mother instinctively.

Rose was startled at her mother words, how could she possibly knew something was bothering her.

Rose waved her hand making it look like there was nothing in her mind to worry about and then there was her mother looking at her with those desperate eyes of her to know what was bothering her beloved daughter.

"Alright mother, you win. It's Eve, she is getting married." Said Rose.

"I don't know how it affects you, my dear."

"She is marrying a man, a stranger just because of his good fortune. Forget about knowing him she never met him in person just his stories about his money, dead and ill wives was enough to convince her for marriage."

Rose looked at her mother to see if she was as shocked as she was when she herself heard about the marriage for the first time but her mother was smiling cheekily.

"It's been so long since I have seen you complain, let me have my shares of amusement." Laughed her mother.

"Mother!" Rose exclaimed.

"Alright, I know you have different beliefs, Rose but that's doesn't mean you will force them on someone else. If she is happy in this marriage then let her have it."

"It's not a marriage, it's bargain deal and what if that guy is a bastard and this marriage doesn't go according to her wishes? What if it will become a horrible end for her?" Blurted Rose.

"What if it doesn't, what if he is a gentleman and everything becomes delighted for her? What if it's her happily ever after?" Answered her mother.

Rose was captivated by her mother's thought, maybe everything was happening for good but the thought of Eve marriage to a stranger doesn't sound very delighted to her.

"Rose this marriage will happen either wise, without your blessings or with your blessings. It's you who have to choose what friend you want to be, who supported her friend on her happiness or who doubts her happiness."

"Marriage should idolized with love just like yours and father's" said Rose.

"Not every marriage starts with love, some starts with war and let's be happy that this marriage is not one of them."

"There they are!" Jumped her mother.

Rose looked straight ahead and saw her siblings coming thorough the woods Albert passed her mother and entered the house with Rose.

Adele was about to do the same when her mother stopped her with her hand.

"Young lady, What you think you were doing, running in the forest like that without my permission and then staying there for almost midnight."

Adele looked over her mother's shoulder, Albert was laughing at her and Rose was smiling at her mother boldness.

Her mother looked behind and said "what are you laughing about, young man? You both will be punished for what you have done to eachother and to my sleep but before that clean yourself and eat."

***

All of them were sitting on the chairs of dinning table. Both the twins were eating there dinner as thier mother was giving them a piece of death threats for their mistakes and for Rose, she was just smiling at her family while eating the pudding her mother bought in the evening.

Rose left the dinning table and stood in front of her house window looking at the dark and black sky remembering her beloved father.

People always associated night with grief and sadness however the darkness of night comes with the assurance of stars which held the promise of brightness even in the dark times.